SC Wednesday Talk: Speaker: Michael Gervers, History, U of T Title: “What do we know about the Ethiopian Dark Ages (7th-12th centuries)?”, February 22, 2023, 2-4pm

February 22, 2023 

Speaker: Michael Gervers, History, U of T

Title: “What do we know about the Ethiopian Dark Ages (7^th-12^th centuries)?”

Introducer: Marty Klein

Abstract: The Axumite kingdom flourished from the 1^st to the 6^th century, after which economic decline set in. Several explanations have been put forward for this change: the defeat of the Ethiopians in the Yemen by the Sassanids in the later 6^th century; the foundation of Islam and a consequent loss of maritime activity by the highlanders in the Red Sea; soil exhaustion after centuries of over use in the dry and stony landscape of the region (today, Eritrea and Tigray). The gold standard was abandoned and coins no longer minted (not for a thousand years, in fact). At the same time, there is archaeological evidence of continuous habitation and even of population growth, but no signs of stone inscriptions or manuscripts. What was the state of Christianity? Were churches being built, or in the absence of funding and building materials is this the period when communities turned to carving them out of the rock?

Bio: Michael Gervers is a medieval historian who divides his time between analyzing by statistical means tens of thousands of English charters (property transfer documents) from the 11^th through early 14^th centuries, and documenting through field work Ethiopia’s cultural heritage. He is currently co-authoring a major publication on Ethiopia’s best-preserved medieval church called Yemrehanna Krestos, built in the mouth of an enormous cave near the well-known rock-hewn site of Lalibela. It is to be published by the Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto.

The link to register is  https://forms.office.com/r/5KAfhYRmw4

The deadline to register is the Monday before the event at noon. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.